As a LAU leader, it’s likely that at some point you may have to manage conflicts or discipline faculty, staff or students.
The Office of the Provost Website and the Faculty Handbook list policies related to managing faculty issues or conflicts. In cases involving staff, theOffice of Employee Relations can provide support on issues related to policy questions, workload issues, religious accommodations, performance management, leave matters and more. For student conflicts and disciplinary issues, review George Mason’s Code of Student Conduct and reach out to the Office of Student Conduct.
If conflicts involve Title IX concerns, such as sexual harassment or assault, sex-based discrimination, pregnancy/parenting rights, and LGBTQ+ student protections, you can reach out to the Office of Access, Compliance and Community for guidance and support.
You should also be aware that the university has a policy involving free speech that is worth reviewing and discussing with faculty and staff.
Another resource to help manage conflict is George Mason’s Office of the Ombuds, which provides independent and confidential support for faculty and staff. In addition, the Office of Organizational Development offers courses such as “Crucial Conversations” and intergroup relations interventions. For more details, go to the Request Organizational Services section of the Office of Organizational Development in HR. Finally, in some cases it may be a good idea to obtain legal guidance from the Office of the University Counsel.
Broad strategies to manage conflicts.*
- Become informed about the history of the conflict, its severity, frequency and prior attempts at resolving it
- Engage in active listening: listen without judgment, ask for clarification, restate statements to ensure you understand what was said, keep a neutral tone when responding and be aware of your non-verbal cues. If needed, encourage parties to stick to facts and “I” statements
- Become familiar with university and college policies regarding how to manage conflicts
- Seek advice from trusted peers, colleagues, and administrators/pertinent offices before acting
- Endeavor to address/resolve the conflict as soon as possible
- If parties are comfortable, encourage them to talk with each other, perhaps with a neutral third party to ensure both individuals feel safe
- If appropriate, encourage the parties to maintain confidentiality
- Keep in mind power imbalances, e.g., student/teacher; senior/junior faculty members; faculty/staff, etc.
- Be open to a broad range of solutions, including whether to bring a person outside of the department to help manage the conflict
- Document the conflict carefully. For example,
- Keep track of the times and location of the conflict, witnesses, etc.
- Carefully summarize your conversations with the parties involved and follow up all conversations with a summary of the issues discussed. Make sure you copy all the parties involved
- Keep copy of all your communication with the parties and their responses
- Document strategies used/suggested to address the conflict and the parties’ responses
- Finally, avoid giving advice, discounting, diagnosing, lecturing, preaching or threatening
*(Adapted from the University of Rhode Island’s Conflict Resolution Guide).